Safety-catch for cars of inclined railways



(No Model.) W. G. D. BODY. SAFETY CATCH FOR CARS 0F INGLINED RAILWAYS.

No. 407,947. Patented July 30, 1889.

N. PETERS. Halo-Lithograph". Wua'z'mtan. a c.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

. IVILLIAM C. D. BODY, OF GRASS VALLEY, CALIFORNIA.

SAFETY-CATCH FOR CARS OF I'NCLINED RAILWAYS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 407,947, dated July 30, 1889. Application filed April 24, 1889. Serial No. 308,476. (No model.)

To aZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, VVILLIAH O. D. BODY,

of Grass Valley, of the county of Nevada,

devices for use on the cars of inclined railways in which a gravity-hook is carried by the car and is held normally inactive, but which upon the breaking of the hoistingcable drops down to an engagement with the ties of the track or a fixed rack below.

My invention consists in the hereinafterdescribed novel construction and arrangement of the safety-hook and its connections.

The object of my invention is to provide a simple and efiective'safety appliance of this class.

Referring to the accompanying drawings for a more complete explanation of my invention, Figure 1 is a side elevation of a car, showing the safety appliance in its normal or inactive position. Fig. 2 is a side elevation of same, showing the safety-hook dropped to engagement with the cross-ties of the track.

A is the-track of an inclined railway, and a are the cross-ties of the roadway.

B is a car, to which is connected the hoisting-cable 0. Under the car and to one of the beams or sills thereof ispivoted at d the safety-hook D. Mounted in the front beam of the car is a sliding draw-head bar E, connected to a ring 6, on the forward end of which is hooked the chain c of the cable 0. A spring F encircles the draw-head bar back of the beam, and in addition to its function of easing the starting strain it serves also to assist the downward movement of the safety-hook D. The rear end of the-drawhead bar is connected with the safety-hook by a pivoted link G.

The operation of the safety appliance is as follows: \Vhen, as in Fig. 1, the cable is intact and taut, the draw-head bar is pulled forward, its spring F is compressed, the link G is straightened up, and the safety-hook D is held in the elevated and inactive position shown; but when the cable breaks, as in Fig. 2, the draw-head bar is forced back both by the power of its spring and the weight of the safety-hook, and said hook drops down and engages the cross-tie a of the roadway.

Thus the car is caught and prevented from running back down the grade.

I am aware that in safety devices of this class hooks or dogs dependent for their operation upon the breaking of the cable have been proposed, and I do not claim such, broadly, but confine myself to my particular arrangement, which is both simple and effective.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. A safety appliance for the cars of inclined railways, consisting of the combination of the pivoted gravity-hook D, carried by the car, the sliding draw-head bar E, carried by the car and to which the hoistingcable is attached, and the pivoted link G, connecting the draw-head bar with the safetyhook, whereby when the cable is taut the hook is held up, and when the cable breaks the hook is dropped to its engagement, substantially as described.

2. A safety appliance for the cars of inclined railways, consisting of the combination of the pivoted gravity-hook D, carried by the car, the sliding draw-head bar E, carried by the car and to which the hoisting-cable is attached, the pivoted link G, connecting the rear head of the draw-head bar with the hook D, and the spring I about'the draw-head bar for retracting it when the cable breaks and assisting the drop of the gravity-hook, substantially as described.

In Witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand.

WILLIAM C. D. BODY.

WVitnesses:

J. M. THOMAS, R. B. THOMAS. 

